By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The Hidden Epidemic of Nursing Home Abuse
    February 16, 2021
    Smiles Make the World Go Around
    August 25, 2017
    Those Pesky Tension Headaches
    September 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 20, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 20, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 20, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Gamification and Government Health Care
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Gamification and Government Health Care
eHealthWellness

Gamification and Government Health Care

Matt Allen
Matt Allen
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE
 

Drew Brees talking about PALA+ and the ESA partnership (Photos courtesy of Revamp.com)

 

Drew Brees talking about PALA+ and the ESA partnership (Photos courtesy of Revamp.com)

I recently had the privilege of running into Secretary Sebelius at the launch party for PALA+ (Presidential Active Lifestyle Award). I truly did ‘run into her’, as I accidentally followed the wrong signs and walked into the VIP prep room where she was standing prior to her talk. In turns out that she is extremely personable, and extremely excited about what HHS is doing with games.

The launch event was in part to announce the new partnership between HHS and the ESA (Entertainment Software Association). As celebrity speaker Drew Brees highlighted, “The President’s Council and ESA recognize the need to embrace technology in the fight against childhood obesity… Through the Active Play PALA+ Challenge, we are motivating kids and families to adopt a healthy lifestyle by using active video games to achieve PALA+.”

The move to adopt video games for healthy living initiatives represents a huge innovation in how public health is tackling the lifestyle diseases that are such a burden on our healthcare system. Using games to promote healthier behaviors will help prevent health problems before they start.
While most of the news in healthcare these days is devoted to dealing with the high costs of care, often discussing the Affordable Care Act and the implementations of EHRs, it is important to reframe the questions to understand why the costs of healthcare are so high in the first place. Finding innovative prevention strategies aimed at healthy living will be key to lowering costs in the long run, and I expect that this initiative is one of many more to come from HHS. For more info on prevention strategies, check out the National Prevention Strategy, published in 2011 by HHS.

It’s not clear yet which companies are going to take the lead with the PALA+ initiative, but ESA member companies, including Electronic Arts, Konami Digital Entertainment, Microsoft Corporation, Nintendo of America, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Take-Two Interactive Software/2K Play, and Ubisoft, will incorporate PALA+ promotional features into some of their most popular active video games. Those features will include:

  • Interactive tools to help kids and families monitor the progress of their physical activity and healthy eating goals;
  • Tracking tools to help participants in different schools and communities engage in competition; and,
  • Helpful tips and information on healthy living from PCFSN (President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition)

In addition to providing very practical ways for us to get active and stay healthy through gamification, these initiatives are also simply doing a great job at raising awareness for healthy living. I remember when Nintendo’s WII first came out, and it was a big hit among families, and incorporated WII Fit as a way to actually get exercise while standing in front of the television. Now, it seems we are in the second phase of the fitness gaming evolution, and the games that are being developed are more refined and linked in with broader initiatives. While there have always been trendy ways to stay fit, it seems that these innovative technologies being developed will truly have widespread appeal, particularly for the younger audience.

Here are some key features usually included when applying game mechanics to non-game applications:

  • Points: Points are used in non-game apps as a way to denote achievement and work to keep the user motivated for the next reward or level.
  • Badges: Merit badges are often used as codes of honor in the gaming world, representing challenges overcome and status earned. In a community, badges can carry mild social nudges to encourage everyone to ‘keep up’ or pursue an area of specialization.
  • Leaderboards: Leaderboards rank users and work to motivate through competition. Leaderboards can also be used in team vs. team competitions, where the additional motivations of social obligation and camaraderie encourage individuals to participate.
  • Challenges: Challenges focus attention and effort and take the mind off of everything else. Challenges can also be used to make the more mundane tasks of everyday maintenance more enticing.

Click here for more info on PALA+.

TAGGED:gamification
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

social media doctor
eHealthHospital AdministrationMedical EthicsMobile HealthPolicy & LawSocial MediaTechnology

Social Media and Doctors: Q&A with Doximity CEO Jeff Tangney

March 14, 2013
doctor_computer
eHealthTechnology

IoT In Healthcare: A Revolution In The Medical Sector

August 30, 2018
social media healthcare
eHealthSocial Media

MyHealthTeams CEO Eric Peacock Offers New Function for Social Media in Healthcare

October 26, 2013

Mobile Medical Device Connects OR to Content and Reps

September 6, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?